zepto
Zepto.js is a minimalist JavaScript library for modern browsers, with a jQuery-compatible API
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Quick Overview
Zepto is a minimalist JavaScript library for modern browsers with a largely jQuery-compatible API. It aims to provide a lightweight alternative to jQuery, focusing on modern browsers and mobile development. Zepto is designed to be fast, small, and extensible.
Pros
- Significantly smaller file size compared to jQuery, leading to faster load times
- Optimized for mobile browsers and touch events
- Largely compatible with jQuery, making it easy to switch or use as a drop-in replacement
- Modular architecture allows for including only needed components
Cons
- Less comprehensive browser support compared to jQuery, focusing mainly on modern browsers
- Smaller community and ecosystem compared to jQuery
- Some jQuery plugins may not work out of the box with Zepto
- Less frequent updates and maintenance compared to more active projects
Code Examples
- DOM manipulation:
$('div').addClass('active').show();
This code selects all div
elements, adds the 'active' class to them, and makes them visible.
- AJAX request:
$.ajax({
url: '/api/data',
type: 'GET',
success: function(data) {
console.log(data);
}
});
This code sends a GET request to '/api/data' and logs the response to the console.
- Event handling:
$('#button').on('click', function() {
alert('Button clicked!');
});
This code adds a click event listener to an element with the ID 'button' and shows an alert when clicked.
Getting Started
- Include Zepto in your HTML file:
<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/zepto/1.2.0/zepto.min.js"></script>
- Use Zepto in your JavaScript code:
$(document).ready(function() {
$('p').text('Hello, Zepto!');
});
This code sets the text of all p
elements to "Hello, Zepto!" when the document is ready.
Competitor Comparisons
jQuery JavaScript Library
Pros of jQuery
- More comprehensive feature set and wider browser compatibility
- Larger ecosystem with extensive plugins and community support
- Better documentation and learning resources
Cons of jQuery
- Larger file size, potentially impacting page load times
- More complex codebase, which can be overkill for simple projects
- Slower performance compared to modern vanilla JavaScript or lightweight libraries
Code Comparison
Zepto:
$('.button').tap(function() {
$(this).addClass('tapped');
});
jQuery:
$('.button').on('click touchstart', function() {
$(this).addClass('tapped');
});
Both libraries use similar syntax for DOM manipulation and event handling. However, Zepto focuses on mobile-first development with touch events like tap
, while jQuery provides more general-purpose functionality.
Zepto is designed to be a lightweight alternative to jQuery, specifically targeting modern browsers and mobile devices. It offers a smaller file size and faster performance, but with a more limited feature set. jQuery, on the other hand, provides broader compatibility and a more extensive API, making it suitable for a wider range of projects and legacy browser support.
Choose Zepto for mobile-focused projects with modern browser requirements, and jQuery for more complex applications or when broader compatibility is needed.
JavaScript's utility _ belt
Pros of Underscore
- More comprehensive utility library with a wider range of functions
- Better support for functional programming paradigms
- Extensive documentation and community support
Cons of Underscore
- Larger file size compared to Zepto
- Not focused on DOM manipulation or AJAX operations
- May include unnecessary functions for projects that only need basic utilities
Code Comparison
Underscore:
_.map([1, 2, 3], function(num) { return num * 3; });
_.filter([1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6], function(num) { return num % 2 == 0; });
_.reduce([1, 2, 3], function(memo, num) { return memo + num; }, 0);
Zepto:
$('div').addClass('active');
$.ajax({ url: '/api/data', success: function(response) { /* ... */ } });
$('button').on('click', function() { /* ... */ });
Summary
Underscore is a utility library focused on functional programming and data manipulation, while Zepto is a lightweight alternative to jQuery for DOM manipulation and AJAX operations. Underscore provides a broader range of utility functions, making it more suitable for complex data operations. Zepto, on the other hand, is more focused on providing a smaller, faster alternative to jQuery for basic web development tasks. The choice between the two depends on the specific needs of your project.
A modern JavaScript utility library delivering modularity, performance, & extras.
Pros of Lodash
- More comprehensive utility library with a wider range of functions
- Better performance for many operations, especially on large datasets
- Modular structure allows for cherry-picking specific functions
Cons of Lodash
- Larger file size, which may impact load times for web applications
- Steeper learning curve due to the extensive API
Code Comparison
Zepto:
$.map([1, 2, 3], function(n) { return n * 2 });
Lodash:
_.map([1, 2, 3], function(n) { return n * 2 });
Key Differences
- Zepto is primarily a lightweight jQuery alternative for modern browsers, while Lodash is a utility library for common programming tasks
- Zepto focuses on DOM manipulation and AJAX, whereas Lodash provides a wide array of functional programming helpers
- Zepto has a smaller footprint, making it suitable for mobile-first projects, while Lodash offers more robust data manipulation capabilities
Use Cases
- Choose Zepto for:
- Simple DOM manipulation in modern browsers
- Projects requiring a lightweight jQuery-like library
- Choose Lodash for:
- Complex data manipulation tasks
- Projects that benefit from a wide range of utility functions
- Applications that require high-performance operations on large datasets
Both libraries have their merits, and the choice between them depends on the specific needs of your project and the trade-offs you're willing to make in terms of file size, browser support, and functionality.
Most modern mobile touch slider with hardware accelerated transitions
Pros of Swiper
- Specialized for touch-enabled sliders and carousels
- Extensive documentation and active community support
- Rich set of features including 3D effects, lazy loading, and virtual slides
Cons of Swiper
- Larger file size and potentially heavier performance impact
- More complex setup and configuration compared to Zepto's simplicity
- Focused on slider functionality, less versatile for general DOM manipulation
Code Comparison
Swiper initialization:
const swiper = new Swiper('.swiper-container', {
slidesPerView: 3,
spaceBetween: 30,
pagination: {
el: '.swiper-pagination',
clickable: true,
},
});
Zepto slider implementation:
$('.slider').swipe({
swipe: function(event, direction) {
if (direction === 'left') $(this).carousel('next');
if (direction === 'right') $(this).carousel('prev');
}
});
Swiper is purpose-built for creating advanced sliders and carousels, offering a wide range of features and customization options. It excels in touch-enabled environments and provides smooth animations. However, it comes with a larger footprint and more complex setup.
Zepto, on the other hand, is a lightweight alternative to jQuery, focusing on general DOM manipulation and basic interactions. It's simpler to use and has a smaller file size, but lacks the specialized slider features of Swiper. Zepto is more suitable for projects requiring basic DOM manipulation and lightweight touch interactions.
MooTools Core Repository
Pros of MooTools Core
- More comprehensive feature set, including advanced OOP capabilities and extensive DOM manipulation
- Strong focus on modularity, allowing developers to include only needed components
- Established ecosystem with numerous plugins and extensions
Cons of MooTools Core
- Larger file size, potentially impacting page load times
- Steeper learning curve due to its more complex API and unique syntax
- Less active development and community support in recent years
Code Comparison
MooTools Core:
var myElement = document.id('myElement');
myElement.addEvent('click', function() {
this.toggleClass('active');
});
Zepto:
var myElement = $('#myElement');
myElement.on('click', function() {
$(this).toggleClass('active');
});
Summary
MooTools Core offers a more comprehensive and modular approach to JavaScript development, with advanced OOP features and extensive DOM manipulation capabilities. However, it comes with a larger file size and a steeper learning curve. Zepto, on the other hand, provides a lightweight alternative with jQuery-like syntax, making it easier to adopt for developers familiar with jQuery. The code comparison demonstrates the syntax differences between the two libraries, with MooTools using its own unique style and Zepto closely resembling jQuery.
Dojo 1 - the Dojo 1 toolkit core library.
Pros of Dojo
- More comprehensive framework with a wider range of features and modules
- Better suited for large-scale enterprise applications
- Stronger support for accessibility and internationalization
Cons of Dojo
- Steeper learning curve due to its extensive API and features
- Larger file size, which may impact load times for smaller projects
- More complex setup and configuration process
Code Comparison
Zepto (DOM manipulation):
$('div').addClass('active').css('color', 'red');
Dojo (DOM manipulation):
require(["dojo/dom-class", "dojo/dom-style"], function(domClass, domStyle) {
domClass.add("myDiv", "active");
domStyle.set("myDiv", "color", "red");
});
Zepto is more lightweight and focuses on providing a jQuery-like API for modern browsers. It's ideal for mobile web applications and smaller projects. Dojo, on the other hand, is a full-featured toolkit that offers more advanced capabilities, making it suitable for complex, large-scale applications.
Zepto has a smaller footprint and faster load times, which can be beneficial for mobile devices. However, Dojo provides more built-in widgets, utilities, and tools for building robust applications, albeit at the cost of increased complexity and file size.
In terms of syntax, Zepto closely mimics jQuery, making it familiar to many developers. Dojo has its own unique syntax and module system, which may require more time to learn but offers greater flexibility and organization for larger projects.
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Zepto.js â a minimalist JavaScript library
Zepto is a minimalist JavaScript library for modern browsers with a largely jQuery-compatible API. If you use jQuery, you already know how to use Zepto.
See zeptojs.com for an extended introduction, downloads and documentation.
Zepto.js is licensed under the terms of the MIT License.
Want to give us money or a tip? Don't. Instead please donate to charity: water.
Building
The official site offers a download of the default distribution of Zepto. This is good for starting out. However, at some point you might want to add some optional modules and remove some of the default ones you don't need, to keep the size at a minimum. That's when you need to check out Zepto's source code and use the build commands.
You will need Node.js installed on your system.
$ npm install
$ npm run-script dist
# do a custom build
$ MODULES="zepto event data" npm run-script dist
# on Windows
c:\zepto> SET MODULES=zepto event data
c:\zepto> npm run-script dist
The resulting files are:
dist/zepto.js
dist/zepto.min.js
If you install CoffeeScript globally, you can run make
directly:
# one-time operation
$ npm install coffee-script --global
$ coffee make dist
$ MODULES="zepto event data ..." ./make dist
# on Windows
c:\zepto> SET MODULES=zepto event data
c:\zepto> coffee make dist
Zepto modules
Zepto modules are individual files in the "src/" directory.
module | default | description |
---|---|---|
zepto | â | Core module; contains most methods |
event | â | Event handling via on() & off() |
ajax | â | XMLHttpRequest and JSONP functionality |
form | â | Serialize & submit web forms |
ie | â | Support for Internet Explorer 10+ on the desktop and Windows Phone 8 |
detect | Provides $.os and $.browser information |
|
fx | The animate() method |
|
fx_methods |
Animated show , hide , toggle ,
and fade*() methods.
|
|
assets | Experimental support for cleaning up iOS memory after removing image elements from the DOM. | |
data |
A full-blown data() method, capable of storing arbitrary
objects in memory.
|
|
deferred |
Provides $.Deferred promises API.
Depends on the "callbacks" module.
|
|
callbacks |
Provides $.Callbacks for use in "deferred" module.
|
|
selector |
Experimental jQuery
CSS extensions support for functionality such as $('div:first') and
el.is(':visible') .
|
|
touch | Fires tapâ and swipeârelated events on touch devices. This works with both `touch` (iOS, Android) and `pointer` events (Windows Phone). | |
gesture | Fires pinch gesture events on touch devices | |
stack | Provides andSelf & end() chaining methods |
|
ios3 | String.prototype.trim and Array.prototype.reduce methods (if they are missing) for compatibility with iOS 3.x. |
Contributing
Please read our contribution guidelines for information on how to contribute.
Get in touch:
Write documentation
Zepto docs are written in Markdown and live in the "gh-pages" branch. They are published on zeptojs.com.
You can use GitHub's web interface to make quick changes to documentation for specific Zepto features (example: ajaxSettings). This will submit a pull request to us that we can review.
Report a bug
- Check if the bug is already fixed in the master branch since the last release.
- Check existing issues. Open a new one, including exact browser & platform information. For better formatting of your report, see GitHub-flavored Markdown.
Running tests
You will need to install PhantomJS. On OS X, that's easy:
$ brew install phantomjs
To run the automated tests:
$ npm test
To run a test server, which you can hit with your browsers and devices:
$ npm start
Go to http://your-ip-address:3000/
on your browser and follow the
instructions. For your convenience test failures and exceptions will be
reported to the the console you started the test server in (as well as
the browser console if available).
Top Related Projects
jQuery JavaScript Library
JavaScript's utility _ belt
A modern JavaScript utility library delivering modularity, performance, & extras.
Most modern mobile touch slider with hardware accelerated transitions
MooTools Core Repository
Dojo 1 - the Dojo 1 toolkit core library.
Convert designs to code with AI
Introducing Visual Copilot: A new AI model to turn Figma designs to high quality code using your components.
Try Visual Copilot